Do No Harm: Art, Healthcare and Planetary Health in Practice

The relationship between human health and the health of the planet is increasingly recognised as inseparable. Do No Harm (DNH), a week-long public-facing art exhibition held at No Vacancy Gallery in Melbourne’s CBD from 27–30 October 2025, placed this relationship at its centre. Directed by medical doctor Tanishka Brahmanand and developed in partnership with Australian not-for-profits CLIMARTE and Medical Pantry, the exhibition used contemporary art as a platform to explore planetary health through the lens of healthcare systems, medical waste and sustainable futures.

Planetary health describes the interdependence between human civilisation and the natural systems that sustain it. Framed by the understanding that the climate crisis is also a health crisis, Do No Harm positioned art as a critical medium for engaging public awareness and behavioural change. Through her work with Doctors for the Environment Australia, Tanishka’s work embodies the understanding that human health requires a healthy planet – thus, Do No Harm sought to translate the key scientific data on complex environmental and health issues into embodied, emotional and imaginative experiences.

Curatorially, Do No Harm invited artists whose practices already demonstrate a sustained engagement with climate advocacy. Care was taken to prioritise diversity across the participating creatives, recognising that planetary health is shaped by social, cultural and systemic inequities as much as environmental ones. CLIMARTE supported the project’s development, logistics and curatorial direction, while Medical Pantry played a key role in providing access to surplus medical equipment and raw materials. Additional unused medical supplies were provisioned by the Austin Health Intensive Care Unit nursing and departmental staff, and additional support by the Blackbird foundation,

The exhibition responded directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Artists were invited to engage with themes including pharmaceutical and medical waste, overconsumption within healthcare systems, reliance on single-use devices, and the broader consequences of waste on biodiversity and human health. Other areas of inquiry included healthcare procurement models driven by profit, life-cycle assessments of medical products, sustainable energy systems, biomaterial alternatives to plastics, and the often fragmented relationship between ecological health and clinical care.

Central to Do No Harm was the concept of “artivism”, a hybrid practice that combines art and activism to inspire social and environmental change. In the context of climate communication, artivism offers an alternative pathway to engagement by bridging scientific knowledge with lived experience. The project proposed that curated exhibitions can act as interventions, assessing whether art can meaningfully increase planetary health awareness and motivate climate-conscious action.

In keeping with its title, Do No Harm was also conceived as an exercise in environmentally responsible exhibition design. The choice of a central-city venue encouraged visitors to use public transport and active travel. A parallel virtual gallery expanded access while reducing the carbon footprint associated with physical attendance alone. The gallery’s abundant natural light reduced the need for artificial lighting and associated energy use.

Sustainability extended into every aspect of production. Artists prioritised reclaimed and reused materials, particularly medical waste, diverting items from landfill and extending their lifecycle. Exhibition infrastructure such as plinths, lightboxes and projectors was sourced second-hand or hired, and salvaged plastics were repurposed rather than newly produced. Printed materials were minimised, with signage produced on recyclable, wax-free paper and marketing conducted primarily through digital platforms.

Where possible, local artists were prioritised to reduce emissions associated with transporting artworks. For international contributors, high-quality digital files were printed locally, and digital works were actively included to balance the carbon costs of physical installation. Even documentation practices reflected this ethos, with photography primarily digital and analogue film used only through a collaboration with a Melbourne-based artist working with recycled disposable cameras and self-developed film.

Do No Harm demonstrates how art exhibitions can function as both cultural and ethical spaces, modelling sustainable practice while inviting audiences to reconsider the health implications of the systems they rely on. In doing so, it offers a compelling example of how art, health and planetary care can intersect in meaningful, actionable ways.

Co-Written by Tanishka Brahmanand and Elyssa Sykes-Smith.

Posted by Elyssa Sykes-Smith.